In article ,
 Martin Gregorie  writes:
> On Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:42:14 +0100, Peter Percival wrote:
>
>> I think I want one with a straight conical tip and the soldering iron
>> that I already own has a tip which looks like a cylinder cut off at an
>> angle (does that make sense? If not, see
>> https://www.gearbest.com/soldering-supplies/pp_248246.html).  Any
>> recommendations?
>
> The best electronic soldering irons I've used have been 45 watt Wellers
> with conical 0.8mm tips - but they weren't cheap, but that was a while
> back. The current range are even more expensive and 90 or 120 watt irons.
> The best feature of the Weller range is that the temperature control is
> nearly failproof, being a magnetic microswitch just behind the tip. There
> is a magnet at the rear of the tip. Like all magnets, it loses its
> magnetism when heated to its Curie point: this turns the microswitch off.
> It turns back on again as the tip drops below the Curie point and regains
> its magnetism. IOW you specify a tip by the shape, diameter *and* the
> temperature you require.

Still use my Weller TCP (as you describe above) which I bought at
university 38 years ago, and has had loads of use. Been through lots
of bits (the iron plating wears off after a while, and then they don't
wet nicely), but the iron is the original. I ordered the iron and PSU
through the university physics department. The lab technician crossed
the PSU off my order and gave me an old broken one instead, saying
"I'm sure you can fix that", which I did (the socket was loose, has
rotated and shorted out the 24V supply, and blown the internal fuse),
so the PSU is even older.

I also have an Antex TCS 50W temperature controlled iron which I carry
around to repair events because it's lightweight without a base unit,
and good value for money, but you'll struggle to find for any other
iron with bits as good quality and wide range of shapes as the Weller
TCP curie effect bits - a product line that's over 50 years old and
still has every spare part available.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

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